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15th April 2002 Archive

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  • Microsoft's License to Confuse

    Education. Education. Education

    Microsoft Corp has blamed confusion over forthcoming changes to its licensing model for sparking a revolt among enterprise customers, who are threatening to throw out Windows operating systems and applications for cheaper alternatives, Gavin Clarke writes. The Redmond, Washington-based company told Computerwire it will …

    Software 15 Apr 2002, 07:30

  • UK threesome ARM for Wireless 3D

    Games and stuff

    Three British technology companies have joined forces to create a complete 3D multimedia platform for mobile devices. The tie-up marks a further effort by Cambridge, UK-based ARM Holdings Plc, the provider of the core processor technology in the venture, to preserve its position as the wireless silicon vendor. It could …

    Mobile 15 Apr 2002, 07:31

  • Hynix makes a profit!

    DRAM prices carry on rising

    Hynix Semiconductor, the debt-laden DRAM maker, made a profit in Q1 - the first time it's made a quarterly profit since Q3, 2000. The Korean firm attributed the profit to rising DRAM prices and lower interest payments to its creditors. It made a profit of 3bn won in Q1 on sales of 109bn won, compared with a loss of 1.37tn in …

    Channel 15 Apr 2002, 08:28

  • ARM sales, profits up (again)

    Royalties down

    ARM Holdings, the designer of little chips which power most of the world's mobile phones, today reported 30 per cent sales growth and a 38 per cent increase in pre-tax profits (PBT) for Q1 ended March 31, 2002. Sales were £42.1m (Q1 2001: £32.5m), 5 per cent higher than the previous quarter. PBT was £15.7m (Q1 2001: £11.4m), 13 …

    Channel 15 Apr 2002, 08:59

  • Gigabyte GA-81RXP: overclocker's nightmare

    Reboot problem

    The Gigabyte GA-81RXP mobo is a hardware tweaker's dream. This is "the first motherboard to run a Pentium 4 Northwood at over 3 GHz. Thanks to these outstanding overclocking abilities and the rich hardware features, we can only recommend the Gigabyte board," Tom's Hardware wrote in February. ExtremeTech loves it too: "The board …

    Personal 15 Apr 2002, 11:32

  • Govt torpedoes analogue equipment industry

    UHF spectrum sell-off prompts protests

    Technicians in the broadcasting industry are up in arms about UK Government plans to auction off the UHF broadcasting spectrum. Plans outlined in the DTI's consultation document, Digital Television: The Principles for Spectrum Planning make life extremely difficult and expensive for anyone using radio talkback and UHF radio …

    Data Networking 15 Apr 2002, 11:41

  • Children hit by digital bullying

    Not nice

    Children as young as 11 have been threatened online either in chat rooms or by menacing text messages, according to a survey by children’s charity NCH. It found that one in four of all children in the UK have been bullied or intimidated by people sending malicious and threatening messages via text message, email or chat. And …

    Music and Media 15 Apr 2002, 11:43

  • Microsoft's home workers to get BT broadband

    You lucky, lucky people

    Microsoft has become BT's first corporate customer to sign up for its broadband teleworking service. Some 1,500 of the software company's home workers will be able to hook into a virtual private network, providing secure broadband access to Microsoft's network. Of course, due to the limitations of broadband availability in the …

    Telecoms 15 Apr 2002, 11:55

  • MS to intro Windows-only ‘Soft Wi-Fi’ 802.11x system

    Connected Home Architecture, Connected to whom?

    At this week's Windows Hardware Engineering Conference (WinHEC) in Seattle Microsoft will take the wraps off its big push into home wireless networking and open up on the Microsoft Connected Home Architecture. As a part of this, Microsoft will be introducing what is essentially a proprietary, Windows-only version of 802.11, " …

    Software 15 Apr 2002, 12:50

  • Intel preps 845GLL – report

    Cheapo graphics

    Intel is prepping the launch of an ultra cheap - sub $25 - integrated graphics chipset, the 845GL, according to Taiwanese newswire Digitimes. Intel is currently taking soundings from Taiwanese mobo makers and if the feedback is good, it will launch the 845GLL in May, sources tell Digitimes. The 845GLL (the extra L stands for " …

    Channel 15 Apr 2002, 13:21

  • WD caches up 80 gig HDD

    Caviar for the masses

    Western Digital is extending the 8MB cache buffer offering down the Caviar line with a Special Edition version of the 80GB EIDE hard drive. Big buffer = more hits from cache and fewer accesses to the hard drive. Which means faster speed to access data. In the case of the 80GB Caviar drive, the special edition delivers 20 per …

    Personal 15 Apr 2002, 13:45

  • Adaptec meets its Waterloo

    If it's Tuesday, it mustn't be Belgium

    Adaptec, the SCSI storage firm, is scaling back its European HQ in Waterloo Belgium, and transferring most ops to its major country subs. The company is moving tech support, admin and marketing functions and "transitioning" most of Belgium's jobs to the UK, Germany and France. In other words, the jobs are there, if not the …

    Business 15 Apr 2002, 14:06

  • The great storage giveaway

    Vendors undercut channel

    The market for enterprise storage and switches remains weak with prices and margins expected to come under increased pressure over the next quarter. That's the main finding of the latest study by channel consulting firm Global Touch, which discovered vendors are selling below channel prices, competing directly against their …

    Channel 15 Apr 2002, 14:09

  • Intergraph trousers $300m in Intel deal

    Accord in Alabama, but Alamo in Texas

    Intel is to pay Intergraph $300m to settle longstanding Pentium patent infringement claims filed in Alabama by Intergraph. But the adversaries are still slugging it out in Texas, where a patent suit in U.S. Federal District Court in Marshall will "proceed as planned". However they have come to an unusual agreement upon …

    Channel 15 Apr 2002, 14:47

  • Text messaging poised for rollout via DECT, land lines

    Telcos look to wireless money spinners for revenue

    Text messaging, a huge success for the mobile phone business, is now poised for take-off via fixed lines as well, with some intriguing implications. Eatoni Ergonomics, which produces the Letterwise predictive text entry software for handheld devices, says it has struck licensing deals with Siemens, Philips and Panasonic, who …

    Mobile 15 Apr 2002, 16:28

  • BT trials new sat service

    Flippin 'eck

    BT Wholesale is to start trialling a cheaper high-speed Internet service using satellite technology. The new service downloads data at speeds up to 256kbits with a return path provided by a conventional phone line. While not true broadband, the service should provide a faster alternative for those people unable to hook up to …

    Telecoms 15 Apr 2002, 16:39

  • Sun and IBM argue over apples and pears

    My dad's server is bigger than yours

    A row has broken out between IBM and Sun Microsystems about their respective pricing in the keenly contested mid-range Unix market. Last week, IBM issued a statement claiming that its eServer systems are still 30 per cent less expensive than competing Sun Microsystems' boxes - even after Sun slashed the prices of its latest- …

    Hardware 15 Apr 2002, 16:44

  • STMicro buys Alcatel chip biz

    Gains big customer

    STMicroelectronics is buying the semiconductor business of Alcatel, the lossmaking French networking equipment vendor, for EUR390m cash. At the same time it becomes Alcatel's preferred chip supplier. Alcatel is strongest in DSL modems and it claims pole position as the world's biggest producer of DSL chipsets. It will continue …

    Channel 15 Apr 2002, 16:45